Hot springs itinerary

Central Italy sits on volcanic and limestone ground that heats rainwater deep below and returns it to the surface rich in minerals and often very hot. The Etruscans and Romans built sanctuaries and baths at these springs, popes and Medici took the waters here, and in the 19th century the great spa towns became fashionable resorts. Today you can choose between elegant spas with pools and treatments and free natural pools, where hot water flows among rocks and travertine terraces.

This seven-day itinerary goes from Florence to Rome through southern Tuscany and northern Lazio: Montecatini Terme, Rapolano, Bagno Vignoni in the Val d'Orcia, Bagni San Filippo, San Casciano dei Bagni, Saturnia and Viterbo, with a few stops in hill towns along the way. See also our pages on Tuscany and Lazio.

1. Florence: arrival
2. Montecatini Terme: the Belle Époque spa
3. Rapolano Terme: travertine and hot pools
4. Bagno Vignoni: the pool in the square
5. Bagni San Filippo: the White Whale
6. San Casciano dei Bagni: the Etruscan bronzes
7. Saturnia: the Mulino falls
8. Pitigliano: the tufa town
9. Viterbo: the Terme dei Papi and the Bullicame
10. Rome: departure

Italy's hot springs in brief

Thermal water in central Italy springs from ancient volcanoes, such as Monte Amiata and the Vulsini and Cimini hills, or from deep faults in the limestone. Rich in sulphur, calcium and bicarbonates, it deposits travertine, the stone of Rome's monuments, forming white terraces and pools. The Etruscans considered the springs sacred, the Romans built baths, and in the Middle Ages Bagno Vignoni and Viterbo welcomed pilgrims and popes. In 2021 Montecatini Terme was included, with other historic European spas, in the UNESCO "Great Spa Towns of Europe".

1. 3rd century BCThe Etruscans worship the waters of San Casciano dei Bagni
2. 1300sDante mentions Viterbo's Bullicame in the Inferno
3. 1400sThe Medici and Pope Pius II take the waters at Bagno Vignoni
4. 1898The funicular to Montecatini Alto opens
5. 2021Montecatini Terme becomes a UNESCO World Heritage site
6. 2022More than twenty Etruscan and Roman bronzes are found at San Casciano

Day 1: Florence to Montecatini Terme

From Florence it is about fifty minutes to Montecatini Terme, the grandest of Italy's historic spa towns, with a park of avenues and plane trees, Liberty-style pavilions and grand hotels where Verdi and Puccini stayed. Visit the Tettuccio spa, with its colonnades and frescoes, and taste the waters at the old counters. In the late afternoon take the 19th-century funicular up to Montecatini Alto, a medieval village with a square full of cafés. See Montecatini Terme.

Where to stay: in Montecatini Terme.

Day 2: Rapolano and the Crete Senesi

Drive south past Siena to Rapolano Terme (about an hour and a half), a village of travertine quarries with two spas fed by springs at around 39 degrees, with outdoor pools open late into the evening. In the afternoon drive through the Crete Senesi, the bare clay hills between Asciano and Buonconvento, towards the Val d'Orcia.

Where to stay: in Bagno Vignoni or San Quirico d'Orcia, for two nights.

Day 3: Bagno Vignoni and the Val d'Orcia

Bagno Vignoni is a tiny village whose square is a 16th-century stone pool full of steaming water, framed by houses and the loggia of Saint Catherine of Siena. You can't bathe in the square, but below the village, in the Parco dei Mulini, the hot water flows in small free channels and pools, and some hotels have thermal pools open to the public. In the afternoon tour the Val d'Orcia: Pienza, the ideal Renaissance town, the cypresses of San Quirico and the fortress of Castiglione d'Orcia.

Day 4: Bagni San Filippo and San Casciano dei Bagni

On the slopes of Monte Amiata, Bagni San Filippo hides a stream of hot water in the woods, the Fosso Bianco, which has built up white limestone formations; the largest is called the Balena Bianca, the White Whale. Bathing is free. Then continue to San Casciano dei Bagni (about forty minutes), a village with dozens of springs. Here in 2022 archaeologists found more than twenty Etruscan and Roman bronze statues in the mud of an ancient sanctuary, one of the most important discoveries of recent decades. Bathe in the free public pool of Bagno Grande, below the village.

Where to stay: in San Casciano dei Bagni.

Day 5: Saturnia and Pitigliano

Drive to Saturnia (about an hour and a quarter), in the Maremma. At the Cascate del Mulino, the warm sulphurous water, at around 37 degrees, flows over travertine terraces into natural pools: free, open day and night, and best at dawn or after sunset. Next to it, the Terme di Saturnia resort has a large pool fed by the spring. See the Saturnia hot springs. In the afternoon visit Pitigliano, a town carved into a tufa cliff, with its old Jewish quarter.

Where to stay: in Saturnia or Manciano.

Day 6: Viterbo, the Terme dei Papi and the Bullicame

Drive to Viterbo (about an hour and a half), the city of the popes, which in the 13th century hosted the longest conclave in history. Just outside the city, the Bullicame is a spring of water at nearly sixty degrees mentioned by Dante in the Inferno, and the Terme dei Papi have one of Europe's largest thermal pools. Nearby there are also free pools where locals bathe. In the afternoon visit the medieval quarter of San Pellegrino and the Palazzo dei Papi. See the Terme dei Papi and the Bullicame.

Where to stay: in Viterbo.

Day 7: towards Rome

On the way to Rome (about an hour and a half), stop at Civita di Bagnoregio, the "dying town" on its crumbling hill, or at Lake Bolsena, then drop the car at the airport.

How much it costs

Accommodation480 €

Meals265 €

Car, fuel and tolls205 €

Spas and admissions160 €

Terme di Saturnia40 €

Rapolano25 €

Terme dei Papi25 €

Montecatini Tettuccio15 €

Cascate del Mulino0 €

Bagni San Filippo0 €

To save money: alternate paid spas with the free pools of Saturnia, Bagni San Filippo, San Casciano and Viterbo, and go on weekdays, when spa prices are often lower. See travelling Italy on a budget.

Practical information

• What to bring: swimsuit, towel, flip-flops and water shoes for the travertine, which is slippery and sharp; a bathrobe if you go in winter.
• Jewellery: sulphurous water blackens silver; take off rings and chains before bathing.
• Health: hot water lowers blood pressure; don't stay in too long, drink plenty and avoid soaking after a big meal. Ask your doctor if you have heart problems or are pregnant.
• Free pools: they are crowded at weekends and in summer; go early in the morning or after sunset, and take your rubbish home.

Variations

• Ischia: the volcanic island of thermal gardens, in the Bay of Naples; see the spas of Ischia.
• The Euganean spas: Abano and Montegrotto, near Padua, with their mud treatments; see Abano Terme.
• The Alps: Bormio and Merano, for hot pools with snowy mountain views; see Merano and its spa.

What to read before you go

A guide to the free hot springs of Tuscany and Lazio, a guide to the Val d'Orcia and a book on the Etruscans. See also Italy's villages.

Final tips

• Pace: one bath a day is enough; thermal water is relaxing but tiring.
• Combinations: from the Val d'Orcia you can link up with the pilgrim ways itinerary along the Via Francigena, and from Siena with the wine itinerary in Chianti and Montalcino.
• A tip: at Saturnia go at dawn in winter: the steam rises from the falls into the cold air, and you will have the pools almost to yourself.